Testicular cancer is a rare, but highly curable disease that strikes younger men, typically between the ages of 15 and 35. With advocacy groups, such as the Movember Foundation spreading the word about testicular cancer, men have become more comfortable talking about what can be a delicate topic.

Although testicular cancer gets a lot of attention, there are many misconceptions surrounding the disease. NJ Advance Media recently asked Han Xiao, MD, a medical oncologist who cares for people with genitourinary cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge, to separate fact from fiction.

Q: Is testicular cancer common?

A: Despite testicular cancer's high profile, it makes up just 1 percent of all men's cancers. It affects one in every 263 men over their lifetime, whereas prostate cancer affects one in every seven men.

A: Most cancers tend to affect older patients, but testicular cancer is different. It mainly strikes men in their teens, 20s, and 30s. So, while it is unusual among all men, it is the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 40.

Q: Does injuring the testicles increase the risk of testicular cancer?

A: There's no evidence that trauma leads to testicular cancer. The main risk factors are a family history and being born with an undescended testicle, in which the testicle gets stuck in the abdomen instead of descending into the scrotum before birth.

Q: Is testicular cancer hard to treat?

A: Testicular cancer is the single most curable solid cancer, with a cure rate of more than 95 percent. It's frequently caught early, but even if discovered at a later stage, the possibility of a cure exists.

Q: Will a man's sex life suffer if he gets testicular cancer?

A: Most patients can enjoy sex and orgasm just as they did before treatment. That's because only the affected testicle is removed during treatment, and the other testicle makes enough testosterone to maintain sex drive and normal erections. Even if there is cancer in both testicles and they both have to be removed, testosterone replacement can get men feeling back to normal.

What's more, there's no shame in talking about it. Having concerns about sexual side effects is understandable. A lot of people think, 'Am I the only person who's thinking that?' We validate what they're saying and normalize that this is completely appropriate.

Q: Can a patient have children following treatment?

A: Because sperm is made in the testicles, many men of childbearing age worry that testicular cancer will impact their fertility. But that's not true for the vast majority of men. Individuals can have normal fertility with one testicle. A patient's sperm count usually returns to its baseline normal post-treatment. While there is a 20 to 30 percent risk of infertility in men who receive chemotherapy, they can bank their sperm before starting, which gives them the opportunity to have children after treatment even if they become infertile.